Monday Message
November 8, 2021
Fall Festival
The annual Fall Festival is a time for MEA students and families to come together to enjoy the fun activities that the fall season brings our way. Attendees at this year’s festival not only decorated pumpkins, but also got to see a few of them launched from our homemade catapult. They tested their skills at the ring toss, duck pond and ping pong table, bent over backwards doing the limbo, and scrambled for seats in a rousing game of musical chairs. Kudos to the ASB members and volunteers who made this fun-filled event happen.
Link to Fall Festival photo gallery
Link to Fall Festival photo gallery
Upcoming Events
Veteran's Day Holiday
Thursday, Nov. 11
School will be closed for Veteran's Day, honoring persons who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
Elementary Chicken Coop Times
Miss Shannon would like to open the chicken coop area for all K-5 students and their parent guardian (or parents) on two days next week:
- Monday, Nov 15 from 1-2 PM
- Friday, Nov 19 from 9-10 AM
Parents, please sign in at the table outside the front gate, and then make your way to the coop area with your child or children. You may stay for as long or as little as you’d like during these open times.
It’s a great opportunity to learn about the 3 resident MEA chickens, their overall care requirements, and just enjoy being outside!
Lunch Concert
12:00-12:30
11th grader Malvyn Lai will be performing for our first Lunch Concert of the year. He is a concert pianist who has performed with symphonies and in competitions around the world. Learn more about the musical accomplishments (scroll down to “Lai”) of this talented young man.
Save-The-Dates
- Holiday Hoopla / Dance - Dec. 7
- Family Dinner at Chipotle’s - Dec. 15
Daily Mindfulness and Meditation
These daily sessions will include about 10 minutes of mindfulness and meditation as well as other activities to foster health and wellness and connectedness in our community. All MEA Community members are welcome!
- When: Monday through Friday (holidays and scheduled school concerts/events excluded!)
- Where: https://sandiegounified.zoom.us/j/7588584792 . . Passcode: MEA!
- Why: Optimum Health, Wellness, and Well-Being!
- Who: The whole MEA Community
- Time: 12-12:30 (You must login by 12:00)
MEA FOUNDATION UPDATE
MEA Foundation
What do we do? The simple answer is, we raise funds to support MEA where funds are not available from the district and we organize volunteer efforts to bring workshops, our talent show, teacher appreciation and so much more. We fund music, art supplies, campus improvements, garden, school events, curriculum support and teacher supplements and grants. Our goal is to raise $10,000 this year for MEA.
Please consider making a donation to MEA Foundation. Check if your employer offers corporate matches to double your donation.
Fundraiser at Rare Tea
Thank you so much to everyone that came to Rare Tea on October 14th. We received $50 even though we only raised $33.53. Thank you Rare Tea!
Front End Web Development program
The MEA Foundation has partnered with UCSD Extension Futures Program to offer 3 courses for free for up to 20 MEA high school students. This course series is normally $840 and counts for 9 units of college credit (but not dual credit for high school high school.) Specifically, the MEA Foundation has secured seats in the “Front End Web Development” series of courses. Students would need to take all 3 courses beginning in Jan. 2022 and ending in September 2022. (Specific course names and dates are listed in the table below.) For more information, please see the Futures website here. If you are a MEA high school student and are interested in signing up for this course series for FREE sponsored by the MEA Foundation, please fill out the form here.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Book-Bundles for Elementary Students
Book-Bundles from the library are ready to be passed out to elementary parents during student pick up and drop off this week. Look for the bundles on the table by the elementary gate.
Elementary Extracurriculars
We hear that some parents are wanting more extracurriculars on a regular basis for elementary students. Well, we need your help! Are you a parent that would like to run an extracurricular? This would involve filing paperwork to become an essential volunteer, including showing proof of vaccination for Covid-19. If you have an idea for an extracurricular and are willing to lead it, please write to Principal Browne at cbrowne@sandi.net with your idea(s) and availability to lead the class. It surely takes a village!
Thank you for your donations!
Thank you to those in the MEA Community who dropped off their items at the E-waste Event held at MEA last week. All the items were delivered to C2K, and they have expressed their gratitude.
Items given:
- 4 laptops
- 3 tablets
- 1 LCD television (Flat Screen)
- 10 miscellaneous hardware
- 3 cell phones
- 4 landline phones
- 2 LCD monitors
- 2 keyboards
- 1 computer - desktop/all-in-one
- 2 CRT monitors
- 1 CRT television
- 1 speaker set
- 3 miscellaneous cords
- 5 battery packs
- 1 power adapter
- 15 ink cartridges
- 1 ipad + ipad keyboard
Site Governance Team
Students in grades 9-12, please vote for one of your peers to represent you on SGT. Voting will close on Friday, November 12.
Please VOTE HERE. Thank you!
Progress Report Grades
For students in grades 6-12, Progress report grades will be available on the Powerschool Portal soon. These grades will be utilized for eligibility purposes for students in grades 9-12 playing sports at their neighborhood school. Please note, SDUSD has adopted a new format for reporting citizenship grades. Please review the new Mt. Everest Citizenship Rubric with your student(s), which can be found on the school website.
See’s Candy Fundraiser
Our annual ASB See's Candy Fundraiser is underway! Please help support Mt. Everest Academy and the ASB by participating in this MEA tradition.
Order forms are going home with students ASAP. Additional forms can be picked up in the office and from this link. Thanks for helping us raise money to support school events like dances, festivals, clubs and field day!
All orders and money must be returned to MEA by Nov. 29th so that we can fill them in time for Winter Break. Checks should be made out to MEA ASB. Prizes will be awarded to the top three sellers!
GOOD STUFF
Lauren Kramer Wins Medals in International Tournament
Lauren Kramer, MEA 9th grader and USA Gymnastics Junior National Team member, just returned from competing in the AmsterdaMMasters international rhythmic gymnastics tournament in the Netherlands. A huge congratulations to Lauren for earning the All-Around silver medal and completing a gold medal sweep in all 4 event finals!
Extracurriculars
* * * Click box above for Elementary Extracurricular Schedule * * *
Daily Mindfulness & Meditation
Elementary Art
Music with Mr. Johnson
PALS
Covid-19 Protocols for Elementary Students
PALS Tutoring
Wednesdays & Thursdays / 12:30-1:45 / Room 6
Trained tutors are ready to help you get your classwork done. All students grades K-12 who would like some extra help can come to room 6 every Wednesday and Thursday during 4th period (12:30-1:45pm). All grades are welcome, as we have tutors for all grade levels. PALS is a great way to build community and academic skills!
Parents, K-5 students attending PALS must arrive with a check-in form so tutors know what to work on with your child and you receive a report on how things went. (Extra forms will be available when you drop off in case you forget or can't print one at home.)
- K-5 students attending studygroup and PALS on the same day should be signed in when parents drop off at 9am. Parents must indicate if their student is staying for supervised lunch and PALS
- K-5 students attending ONLY PALS on any given day should be signed in outside the front office.
- 6-12 students can report directly to Room 6.
Music classes with Mr. Johnson
These classes are held every Tuesday. Please sign your child in at the front office and note which class(es) they will be attending.
- 8:05- 8:55 - Beginning Band
- 9:05- 9:55 - Choir
- 10:05- 10:55 - Advanced Band
- 11:05 - 11:55 - Music theory (for upper grades)
- 12:30- 1:20 - Advanced Strings (open to secondary)
- 1:35- 2:25 - Beginning Strings
* * * Click box above for Secondary Extracurricular Schedule * * *
Academic League • Ally Action • Anime • Chess • Coop Group • Daily Mindfulness & Meditation • Gaming • German • GSA • Literary Magazine • MathCounts • Mental Health • Music with Mr. Johnson • PALS • Rubik's Cube • Sherpa’s Jam Band • Spanish Conversation • Sports Club • Young Investors Club
Rubik’s Cube Club Interest Form
Ever wanted to learn how to solve a Rubik’s cube? Or wonder how people manage to solve cubes in under 6 seconds? If so, this is the club for you!
- No experience or cube required! We have extra speedcubes that anyone can use.
- Led by multiple-time World Cube Association competition medalists.
- Learn the latest tips and tricks!
- Friendly competition and casual cubing.
Please sign up with this form if you are interested.
Heights Literary Magazine
Hello, we are the Heights Literary Magazine. Please check out our website for more information regarding our club, magazine, and submitting your work for our coming issue if you are interested.
Also, if you wish to join the club, please email the Editor-in-Chief, Jody Huege, at jodyrh0215@gmail.com.
Pandora’s Box of Secrets
MEA’s Ally Action is organizing a community event for all students. They will be anonymously collecting students' secrets to create a poster for the school, similar to the Museum of Us's PostSecret exhibit.
STUDENTS: You can submit your secret here (everything is anonymous).
AROUND CAMPUS
German Lantern Festival
The German Club (including a special participant, our school's mascot!) celebrated St. Martin's Day by making lanterns this month, and then singing and marching around school during the Fall Festival. In Germany, St. Martin's Day takes place on November 11th. It is very popular with children as they build their own lanterns in the run-up to November 11th. In the evening on St. Martin's Day there are lantern processions (Martinsumzüge or Lanternenumzüge) in towns and cities all over Germany. It is dedicated to St. Martin of Tours and celebrates modesty and altruism.
MEA Gardens & Chickens
Service hours for Hügelkultur bed
Miss Shannon and Mr. Shane built a “decomposition viewing window” for the soon-to-be-constructed Hügelkultur bed near the chicken coop.
Miss Shannon has available service hours times from 8:30-12 on both Tuesday and Wednesday this week—APES and ASB students are all welcome to join in whenever and stay as long as they’d like. No need to email Miss Shannon.
Stop by the area for many projects:
- Digging and moving soil to prepare for the Hügelkultur bed
- Placing logs
- Creating a shaded wildflower seed area
- Teak oil staining the viewing window
- Painting pallets for future art installations on the chicken coop fence
- Filling the wine barrels with fresh raised bed garden soil
—>Wear closed toed shoes, please!
Curious about what a Hügelkultur bed is?
Check out this short, animated video: https://youtu.be/Ukmr8PsQMhI
We are not aware of another San Diego Unified school with a Hügelkultur bed—let’s celebrate this!
Thank you Home Depot!
Home Depot donated dozens of torn bags:
- Mulch
- Soil
- Rocks
- Compost
We appreciate having a community of supportive businesses so close to us!
Greens for the Staff
MEA staff enjoys some fresh garden harvests from the front gardens:
- Cilantro
- Lettuce varieties
- Watermelon radish
- Basil
The snow peas are about to pop!
Stop on by for a fresh harvest of your own.
Coop Group 11/4/21
Coop Group members work hard…and grow wheat grass flat enrichment treats for the chickens!
Zira is molting, Chris is currently the only chicken laying eggs, and Cleopatra looks beautiful again!
The group spent time adding fresh soil to the coop (the chickens all took dust baths shortly after the addition), removed leaves from the overhead netting, and just enjoyed the chickens following them around.
HELPFUL INFORMATION
Meet with School Counselor
For students and parents that would like to meet with Mr. Rubin, our school counselor, please sign up for an appointment.
SDUSD Covid Testing Acknowledgement Form
This is a reminder that all families are required to make a choice on Covid testing at the start of the new school year. Every family must complete the form (access link below) and submit their response online at this time for each student. Free Covid testing in school not only helps prevent the spread of the virus, but it also helps more students stay in school and continue their education.
Covid-19 Testing Acknowledgement Form
(Note: A PowerSchool Username and Password will be required to complete the form. If you do not have the Access ID and Password for your student, please contact Ms. Ramos in the front office.)
Student Handbook
Technology Support and Resources
AmazonSmile
MEA Foundation is fully registered with AmazonSmile as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon.com will donate to MEA Foundation at no cost to you!
- First, go to https://smile.amazon.com/ch/84-2089378 and set your charity to "Mount Everest Academy Foundation".
- Then, always start your shopping at https://smile.amazon.com and shop as usual while supporting our school!
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Kode with Klossy Workshops
Arlene Nagtalon is a former SDUSD Student Advisory Board Member who is now teaching a Kode with Klossy Workshop. She has sent an invitation to MEA to offer this workshop to young women and gender nonconforming individuals, ages 13-18.
- Klossy Workshop flyer
- Website with sign up - please sign up for the “Workshop 3D with Arlene + Vedya”
- Questions? Please email campus@kodewithklossy.com
Volunteer Opportunity at C2K
Do you want to start high school volunteering as soon as possible? Computers 2 Kids, C2K, is a nonprofit San Diego organization looking for volunteers. You can learn more about this organization and what it does at this link: About C2SDK | C2SDK. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at C2K, please click on this link and fill out the short form: https://forms.gle/jQ4gtWvEpiKSa4aQ6.
If you have questions, please contact hasanabdurrahman2015@gmail.com